The Lincoln Forum at Gettysburg

Gettysburg National Cemetery

Abraham Lincoln famously gave his Gettysburg Address on November 19, 1863, at what is now the National Cemetery. A commemoration is held every year on that date with prominent speakers, reenactors, and musicians. For Lincoln scholars and aficionados, the days leading up to the 19th are the annual Lincoln Forum. I’ve been privileged enough to attend the Forum every year since 2014, including this past week.

I arrived early morning on November 16th and joined colleagues at the Lincoln Diner in downtown Gettysburg for a robust breakfast. About twenty of us then headed out to the National Cemetery for a fascinating private tour by my colleague Scott Schroeder exploring the mysteries of who took the half dozen extant photos of the dedication. And that was before the Forum even began!

The Lincoln Forum officially begins with happy hour and dinner on the 16th. This year featured NPR’s Morning Edition host, Steve Inskeep, whose most recent book, Differ We Must, explored how Lincoln deftly interacted with those people who disagreed with him. I was lucky enough to have a short conversation with him and get a photo.

Me with Steve Inskeep

The first full day brought an amazing slate of speakers, such as Ron White, Craig Symonds, Kate Masur, and Forum Vice Chair Jonathan White. There was also a panel discussion including the likes of Ed Achorn, Joe Fornieri, Ron White, and Harold Holzer, moderated by Erin Carlson Mast. Not to be outdone, there was after-dinner entertainment from Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, the musical team that created the soundtrack to Ken Burns’s Civil War miniseries.

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason

The final day was just as interesting, with Achorn returning to discuss his book about the 1860 Chicago Republican convention, which was given the Harold Holzer Lincoln Forum Book Prize. Then there was Edna Greene Medford in conversation with Matthew Norman, co-author of an amazing compilation of African American voices on Lincoln, followed by a panel discussion featuring Allen Guelzo, Michelle Krowl, Dana Shoaf, and Melissa Winn, moderated by Jonathan White. It didn’t end there – the afternoon featured seven breakout sessions and a tour for first timers.

Lincoln Forum panel

The Lincoln Forum wrapped up its final night with its usual fantastic dinner. But the highlights were a reading of the Gettysburg Address by actor Graham Sibley, that everyone in attendance agreed was the finest rendition of the famous address any of us had ever heard. Then Harold Holzer led a session in conversation with the incomparable Doris Kearns Goodwin and her film production partner, Beth Laski. It was their film for the History Channel that starred Sibley, and it’s easy to see why it was so successful.

Beth Laski and Doris Kearns Goodwin

This conference has become my go-to conference each year in November, and 2023 showed why it has succeeded for 28 years. If you’re into Lincoln, this is the place to be in November. I’ve already put the 29th annual symposium on my 2024 calendar.

[All photos by David J. Kent, 2023]

Fire of Genius

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

An Award, A Breakout, and A Feature at the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg

November 19, 2022 marked the 159th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. As is traditional, a commemoration is held on that date, along with a remembrance of “these honored dead.” The three days leading up to the event is also the annual Lincoln Forum, one of the premier Abraham Lincoln conferences in the nation. This year was special because I accepted an award, ran out breakout session, and in addition to a short presentation, was featured in the Lincoln Forum Bulletin. If that wasn’t enough, my book launch presentation from September also premiered on C-SPAN, appropriately enough on the morning of the Gettysburg remembrance.

Wendy Allen Award 2022 Let’s start with the award. As president of the Lincoln Group of DC, I was honored to accept the prestigious Wendy Allen Award given to the group by the Lincoln Forum. The annual award is given “to a Lincoln or Civil War institution or organization that has achieved widespread recognition for bringing learning, scholarship, and enlightenment to a wide public. The award comes in the form of a framed color print of an original Lincoln painting by acclaimed Gettysburg-based artist Wendy Allen, who generously makes her work available for the honorees.”

The Lincoln Group of DC was honored for its 87 years (and counting) contribution to Abraham Lincoln scholarship and public education. I was happy to acknowledge that long history and our most recent presidents going back a dozen years: John O’Brien, the late John Elliff, Karen Needles, and the late Buzz Carnahan, as well as at least a couple more former presidents present in the room. As one might expect from a group based in Washington, D.C., our membership has included congressmen and other key figures in government. But the group itself goes way beyond the district. Our members are located nationwide and have had far-reaching influences. Among our many accomplishments is the official naming of the old post office room in the U.S. Capitol the Lincoln Room,” complete with a bipartisan resolution, a sign, and a ceremony. We also organized in collaboration with the National Park Service and with co-sponsorship by the Lincoln Forum, the Lincoln Memorial Centennial commemoration in May 2022 (watch the C-SPAN recording of the event here). The group has done much, much more over the years. Membership is open to everyone interested in Abraham Lincoln, with local dinner meetings and monthly Zoom presentations. Our website is Lincolnian.org.

In addition to accepting the award on behalf of the Lincoln Group, I was kept busy with several personal and professional events during the three-day Forum. I participated in the book signing for my new book, Lincoln: The Fire of Genius, along with other Forum presenters. I found myself seated in between two of the great Lincoln scholars of all time: Frank Williams, the past chairman of the Forum, and Harold Holzer, the current chairman of the Forum. Also at my table was prolific Lincoln and Civil War author Jonathan W. White (vice chairman of the Forum), and Forum presenters/authors John Rhodehamel and Michael Green.

Lincoln Forum Lincoln Memorial articleI also led a breakout session about my book. About thirty people gathered to discuss Lincoln’s interests in science and technology. Joining me was Ed Steers. Like me, Ed had a full career as a scientist (he was at the National Institutes of Health) before turning to Lincoln scholarship. He is a renowned expert on Lincoln’s assassination as well as his early life and ancestry. Questions from the participants led us into discussions not only about my book, but also the broader issues of how scientific and historical research are similar and dissimilar, a topic I wrote about back in June in a post called “The Science of History.”

Like the scientific conferences I used to attend (SETAC was going on in Pittsburgh when I was in Gettysburg, with my book raising money for students in their silent auction), much of the benefit of in-person conferences like the Lincoln Forum is the chatting with other researchers about history in the hallways. This year led to some interesting new ideas for future research, plus a couple of invitations to present about my book in the spring. On Thursday night, immediately after accepting the award, I gave a brief recap of the Lincoln Memorial Centennial program we organized in May.

And that wasn’t everything that happened last week. I’ll have more on recorded presentations in the next post.

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius

 

Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America is available at booksellers nationwide.

Limited signed copies are available via this website. The book also listed on Goodreads, the database where I keep track of my reading. Click on the “Want to Read” button to put it on your reading list. Please leave a review on Goodreads and Amazon if you like the book.

You also follow my author page on Facebook.

David J. Kent is President of the Lincoln Group of DC and the author of Lincoln: The Fire of Genius: How Abraham Lincoln’s Commitment to Science and Technology Helped Modernize America and Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America.

His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

The Exhaustingly Exhilarating Lincoln Forum

I have just returned from the annual Abraham Lincoln Forum in historic Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The 3-day conference of non-stop meetings, presentations, and hallway socializing is somehow both exhausting and exhilarating. I came away with a great deal more knowledge, a renewed impetus for research, and a “to-do” list the length of my arm.

The schedule was shown in my pre-forum post, and the presenters didn’t disappoint. We heard about how the North felt they were an army of deliverance, how soldiers and Lincoln dealt with the constant reminder of death, and the intriguing story and legacy of how the first battle of the ironclad ships changed naval warfare. During the final day breakout sessions I participated in discussions on the Civil War Navy led by Craig Symonds and Anna Holloway. I even picked up a tip or two to discuss in my new book. I also had keynote speaker Sidney Blumenthal sign my copy of his book, my review of which will appear in the next Civil War Times magazine.

But the Forum is more than just scholarship, though there certainly is no shortage of that. It’s a chance for colleagues to compare notes, researchers to begin new collaborations, and friends to catch up since last meeting (which for many is, in fact, the last meeting of the Forum a year before). I found myself having deep discussions with some of the record number of fellow Lincoln Group of DC members in attendance (hence the long to-do list for follow up). With other DC-area colleagues I plotted future collaborations. I talked with photographer David Wiegers about future Lincoln statues to visit (and bought a calendar of statues in foreign countries). I even got to listen to a little blues guitar and harmonica by the inestimable Joe Fornieri.

One surprise happened during the first session. As we took a short break I notice that Michael Hardy was sitting in the row behind me. Mike runs the Facebook page “Liking and Learning About Lincoln,” which not only has shown incredible growth in the past year, under his guidance has continued to raise the amount members donate to the Lincoln Forum scholarship programs. Mike proceeds to tell me that he thinks about me every day, which I admit sounded a little weird until he reminded me of a conversation we had last year. I mentioned that I hadn’t written my Lincoln book for the deep scholars like Harold Holzer; I had written it to reach the public that might not pick up a scholarly tome. Mike took this to heart and uses that principle in deciding what to post on his page – the goal is to expand the knowledge among the populace. I wholeheartedly agree, and am humbled to do my small part in that regard.

One other surprise deserves mention. This past year the Forum arranged to have a sculpted bust of Lincoln donated to the town of Lincoln, Argentina. I have an personal affinity for Argentina, having spent some time there visiting a close friend a few years ago. Thanks to the Forum, that sculptor (and the original clay model upon which the bronze was cast) was on hand to explain his art while actually working on a new Lincoln bust while we spoke. As can be seen by the photos, sculptor Frank Porcu is amazingly talented and I thank him for taking the time to talk with me.

I have already put the Forum on my calendar for next year (yes, I have a 2020 calendar hanging on my wall quickly filling up). In the interim I plan to finish my next Lincoln book, give a few talks of my own, and continue traveling. On this last point I found my only disappointment of the last few days – an unexpected email informed me that my lower Caribbean cruise due to start in one week had been cancelled (ironically for a sailing vessel, because of necessary repairs to a propulsion engine). While not nearly as exciting or warm, I have plenty to do at home, including reading several new Abraham Lincoln books in competition for the Abraham Lincoln Institute annual book award to be given next March.

Time to get busy.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

On the Way to the Lincoln Forum

George Buss David KentA funny thing happened on the way to the Lincoln Forum. After a career as a scientist, I became a Lincoln historian. And in a few days I’ll have the chance to join 300 of my colleagues at the annual Abraham Lincoln Forum.

The Lincoln Forum is a national organization for people “who share a deep interest in the life and times of Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War era.” While my occupation was scientist, my avocation – now my focus – was Abraham Lincoln. From reading Jim Bishop’s The Day Lincoln Was Shot and Carl Sandburg’s Prairie Years and War Years as a boy to collecting various artifacts as a teenager to my 1300-volume book obsession as an adult, I’ve always been a bit of a Lincoln geek. [For the record, that’s a good thing.]

For many years I attended the annual SETAC scientific meeting, which inconveniently put itself on the same week as the Forum. In 2014 SETAC was a week or so earlier, thus allowing me to also go to the Forum for the first time. The same happened in 2015 – after winning a prestigious SETAC award in Salt Lake City I returned in time to attend the 20th Anniversary of the Forum in Gettysburg. Now my focus is completely on the Forum and this year (2019) will be my sixth straight year in attendance. I’ve met a lot of great people each year, including Lincoln reenactor George Buss and a field of scholars led by the incomparable Harold Holzer and Frank Williams.

Lincoln Forum 2019

As the schedule above shows, this year’s Forum should continue to raise the bar on Lincoln scholarship. Among the speakers will be the authors of books I’ve recently read (e.g., Brian Dirck’s The Black Heavens, Sidney Blumenthal’s All The Powers of Earth) or read within the last couple of years (e.g., Anna Holloway and Jonathan White’s Our Little Monitor). Many of the other books to be discussed are on my further list of books to review in my roles as a columnist in The Lincolnian, reviewer for Civil War Times and other magazines, and a member of the book award committee for the Abraham Lincoln Institute.

If you’re going to this year’s Forum, feel free to look for me during meals and happy hours (or just roaming the hallways between sessions). I’m looking forward to catching up with old friends, making new friends, and discussing Lincoln with perhaps the single largest regular gathering of Lincoln scholars and aficionados in the world.

See you at the Forum!

[Photo: Selfie with George Buss/Abraham Lincoln]

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World and two specialty e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

A Busy Week of Abraham Lincoln

This past week has been full on Abraham Lincoln. First a wine and cheese party with the visiting folks of the Abraham Lincoln Association of Springfield, Illinois. Held in the Lincoln Cottage in DC, the Lincoln Group of DC was happy to return the favor ALA gave us on our trip to Springfield last year.

From there is was on to Gettysburg for the annual Lincoln Forum where I caught up with Jonathan W. White (above). Among many great speakers and panels were Guy Fraker and Edna Greene Medford. Our main keynote speaker was none other than Ron Chernow (of Hamilton and Grant fame).

I also caught up with old friend George Buss, who plays Lincoln.

Forum Chair Frank Williams announced he’ll be stepping down after this year.

Forum Co-Chair Harold Holzer was also this year’s keynote speaker at the Gettysburg Dedication Day ceremonies.

And you can never have too many Lincoln’s. Here’s George Buss with fellow Lincoln portrayer, Ron Carley.

More to come after my travels.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Lincoln Forum and the Gettysburg Dedication

Abe and MeNovember 19th is Dedication Day, the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address (admit it, you had to memorize it in middle school too). It’s also the week of the annual Lincoln Forum, held November 16-18. I’ll be at both.

The focus of this year’s Forum is “Lincoln and His Contemporaries: Friends, Enemies, and Successors.” Speakers will include Charles Strozier (talking about Lincoln’s intimate friend, Joshua Speed), Steven Engle (Lincoln and the War Governors), Jonathan W. White (Dreams of War and Peace), Melanie Kirkpatrick (Lincoln and Thanksgiving, which appropriately follows next week), and Annette Gordon-Reed (Andrew Johnson, who is either a friend or enemy and questionable successor, depending on your point of view).

Not to be missed is a break out session in which friends and foes Craig L. Symonds and John F. Marszalek do their best Abbott and Costello routine (or Costello and Costello) facing off with Northern and Southern perspectives of the Civil War.

The Forum is deftly guided by founding and continuing Chair, the Honorable Frank J. Williams and unrivaled Lincoln scholar and Forum Vice-Chair, Harold Holzer. The two, along with a cast of dedicated Board members and staff, have led the Forum for 22 years, and every year seems to get even better. One of the preeminent Lincoln conferences, each year about 300 Lincoln scholars and aficionados, some in period costumes, join together to share great scholarship, good food, and long-lasting relationships. If you haven’t already, check out the Forum website at the link above (and the other Lincoln groups, including my own Lincoln Group of DC, in the links below).

I’ll be there catching up with other Lincoln authors, attending the talks, and increasing my already voluminous Lincoln library. I’ll also have copies of my own Lincoln book. Anyone who wants one can catch me roaming the hallways and I’ll be happy to sign one for you.

As the Forum ends the crowd shifts to the Gettysburg Battlefield where George Buss plays Abraham Lincoln and recites the Gettysburg Address. This year’s keynote speaker is none other than the Forum’s Harold Holzer.

This week is a busy one for us Lincoln scholars and geeks. Last night I attended a welcoming reception at the Lincoln Cottage for members of the Abraham Lincoln Association. ALA hosted us a year ago when over 20 Lincoln Group of DC members toured the Springfield, Illinois area. We were happy to return the favor as ALA engages in its annual “fishing trip” before heading up to the Lincoln Forum.

See you at the Forum!

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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Lincoln at Gettysburg

As part of a busy few weeks, I attended the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania just before Thanksgiving. The Forum brings together hundreds of Lincoln enthusiasts and scholars to hear some of the most well-known and respected thinkers in the field. I was lucky enough to meet up with an old friend.

Selfie with George Buss

George Buss has been portraying Lincoln for decades. This year marks his second time commemorating Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address on Remembrance Day, November 19th, the 153rd anniversary of that day.

George Buss and Jon Willen

Photo courtesy of Jon Willen

In the photo above, George is joined by another friend, Jon Willen, who is a retired physician who, appropriately enough, plays a surgeon in Civil War reenactments. Between the two of them, it’s possible that George and Jon have spent more time in the 1860s than in any other decade. They were joined by many others on the battlefield for the commemoration.

Both were also at the Forum itself, with George, ahem, Abraham Lincoln, presenting parts of his first inaugural speech. The Forum also featured keynote presentations by Sidney Blumenthal (author of A Self-Made Man), Ron White, Jr. (American Ulysses), and Bud Robertson, Jr. (“After the Civil War”). Robertson also won the annual Richard Current Nelson Award of Achievement.

Lincoln Forum panel

Of course, there were many more speakers and panels led by Frank J. Williams and Harold Holzer (Chair and Vice Chair, respectively). We heard from Joan Waugh, Craig Symonds, John Marszalek, Richard Brookhiser, Catherine Clinton, Edna Greene Medford, Douglas Egerton, and others. All packed into 2-1/2 days of lectures, meet-and-greets, tours, and even a cooking class.

This was my third year attending the Forum, which I had missed all those years it conflicted in timing with my annual SETAC meeting. Now the Forum is on my calendar for every year forward.

Meanwhile, I’m in the final editing phase of my newest book, Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, due out in 2017.

David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His next book is on Abraham Lincoln, due out in 2017.

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A Few New Abraham Lincoln Books

Lincoln Forum CakeI’ve just returned from the annual Lincoln Forum conference in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. This was the 20th anniversary event, complete with cake. The Forum fills two and a half days with presentations by renowned Abraham Lincoln scholars, great camaraderie, and books. A lot of books. As usual, my bag coming home is filled with new books picked up at the conference bookstore.

This year I tried to restrict my book buying, so the total was only six (yes, only). In addition to all the new books there are opportunities to buy older tomes from Chuck Hand, collector extraordinaire. And then there is the unparalleled Dan Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, who always has an amazing showing of Lincoln photos, signed documents, and other artifacts. To this elite group we can add the beautiful sculptures of John McClarey.

Villainous CompoundsNow the books. New additions to my collection include an essay compilation book edited by Frank Williams and a second similar book edited by Joseph Fornieri. I also picked up an edition of Reck’s A Lincoln: His Last 24 Hours and a book on the lost whaling fleet (which had battled the confederate navy and the Arctic during the Civil War). Perhaps the most unique acquisition is a book called Villainous Compounds: Chemical Weapons & The American Civil War by Guy R. Hasegawa. With my scientific background it would almost be blasphemous if I hadn’t bought it (he tells himself, in a rationalizing sort of way).

Just and Generous NationHaving already bought it beforehand, I took advantage of the conference to bring my copy of Harold Holzer’s new book A Just and Generous Nation and had him inscribe it for me. As always, Harold was gracious and generous with his time and expertise. He noted that he wrote the first section of the book (seven chapters) and his co-author, economist Norton Garfinkle, wrote the second section (five chapters) on Lincoln’s economic improvement focus and influence on modern America. I’ll have a review of the book as soon as I finish reading it.

At the end of the year I’ll update on new Lincoln book acquisitions for 2015. And now…it’s on to writing!

David J. Kent has been a scientist for thirty-five years, is an avid science traveler, and an independent Abraham Lincoln historian. He is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (now in its 5th printing) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate. His book on Thomas Edison is due in Barnes and Noble stores in spring 2016.

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Science Traveling Abraham Lincoln

Abraham LincolnIt’s been a busy 48 hours with respect to Abraham Lincoln traveling. And it’s about to get even busier.

On Saturday I attended the monthly book discussion group of the Lincoln Group of DC (where last month I gave a talk on Lincoln and Technology). Our book this year is Michael Burlingame’s “green monster,” the name stemming both as an homage to the famous left field wall at Fenway Park in Boston and the color and size of his two-volume, 2000+ page tome Abraham Lincoln: A Life. As always, the discussions were lively and informative.

That night about a dozen current and past Lincoln Group members gathered for dinner and conversation at a beautiful Victorian-style home not far from George Washington’s famed Mount Vernon. Thank you John and Linda for a wonderful event and unbeatable hospitality.

And now it’s on to Gettysburg for 2-1/12 days of immersion at the historical Civil War battlefield site. The Abraham Lincoln Forum meets each year on the anniversary week of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Some of the most well-known Lincoln historians in the U.S. will be there for lectures, discussions, and roundtables. Both old and new Lincoln books will be on sale thanks to the appearances of Daniel Weinberg of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop and many current authors. This is the 20th anniversary of the Forum, which from the beginning has been chaired by retired Rhode Island Supreme Court Justice Frank Williams and vice-chaired by renowned Lincoln scholar Harold Holzer. You can read more about last year’s Forum here.

Jim Getty

This year will also serve as a transition. Jim Getty (above) has been the go-to Abraham Lincoln interpreter in the Gettysburg region for many years. People travel from miles around to hear him present the Gettysburg Address on Dedication Day of the battlefield (November 19th). Last year he received the Forum’s prestigious Richard Nelson Current Award. Jim had retired from Lincoln interpretation work this year, then unexpected passed away this summer. He will be dearly missed. A remembrance is planned at this year’s event.

Abe and Me

Taking over the Dedication Day duties is interpreter George Buss, whom I met last year here at the Forum (see above; he’s the one with the hat). George has been a long-standing Forum member and has interpreted Lincoln for many years. He resides in the Springfield, Illinois area, which makes another upcoming event even more special. George will give a press conference in Washington, D.C. on December 3rd, taking questions from the public and the national press. In addition, the Lincoln Group of DC has arranged for George to bring Lincoln to our monthly dinner meeting on December 2nd, where he’ll engage in an intimate informal conversation with Lincoln Group members. Sign up on the Lincoln Group website.

The Forum runs through Wednesday night and is followed by the dedication ceremonies on the battlefield on Thursday. I’ll have more to report, plus photos, during and after the conference.

David J. Kent is the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, now available. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (both Fall River Press). He has also written two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

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The Lincoln Forum Comes to Gettysburg

Each year the Lincoln Forum comes to Gettysburg, PA, the site of Abraham Lincoln’s most famous speech. This year marks the 19th annual symposium, and like all the symposia that preceded it, good times were had by all as over 300 learned people learned even more about our 16th President.

This was my first time in attendance at the Forum as the week had always coincided with the annual SETAC meeting. A shift in SETAC’s schedule put me in Vancouver a week early, which freed me up for the short drive to Gettysburg. Based on my experiences last week, I’ll definitely be at the Lincoln Forum in 2015 as they celebrate their “one-score” anniversary.

Abe and Me

Abraham Lincoln (aka, George Buss) and the author

As luck would have it I was able to meet two Abraham Lincolns (my first presidential photo-op). George Buss, in full regalia, is an active member of the Lincoln Forum. Jim Getty (more on him in a moment) is one of the most revered Lincoln presenters in the country.

Harold Holzer

Harold Holzer at the lectern, watched by Frank Williams

The conference was a cornucopia of Lincoln scholars. I was able to meet such esteemed historians as Harold Holzer, Frank Williams, Edna Greene Medford, Catherine Clinton, William C. “Jack” Davis, Craig L. Symonds, and, just one week after seeing them in Washington at the Lincoln Group of DC symposium, Tom Horrocks and Jonathan W. White. If all that scholarship wasn’t enough, noted Civil War historian and Pulitzer Prize winner James McPherson was there with his new book on another Civil War President – Jefferson Davis.

James McPherson

James McPherson

I also had the chance to speak with Daniel Weinberg, owner of the Abraham Lincoln Book Shop in Chicago, IL. A published author himself, Dan has been instrumental in bringing Lincoln book authors to the public, both through store sales and his Virtual Book Signing events. I also spoke several times with David Hirsch and Dan Van Haften, authors of “Abraham Lincoln and the Structure of Reason,” a book that delves into Lincoln’s use of Euclid geometry in his speeches. Given my own work in progress – a book on Lincoln’s “sciencey” side – I felt privileged at the opportunity to get their insights first hand.

Panel discussion

Panel with (l-r) Jack Davis, Craig Symonds, James McPherson, John Marszalek, Richard McMurry

Like most conferences, the annual Lincoln Forum symposium includes stellar speakers, stimulating panel discussions, and significant award presentations. Unlike some conferences, the camaraderie is palpable, as both old and new friends gleefully share their interest in one of our greatest presidents.

Jim Getty

Jim Getty

And then there is Jim Getty. Each year the Lincoln Forum gives the Richard Nelson Current Achievement Award to someone who has contributed to “the spirit of Lincoln in both word and deed.” This year the recipient of the award was kept secret for only the second time, then given to an unsuspecting Jim Getty for his nearly 40-year career as a Lincoln presenter.

Bobby Horton

Bobby Horton

Finally, the conference closed with a performance by instrumentalist and singer Bobby Horton, known for his work with Ken Burns on the original PBS miniseries, The Civil War. The best part is that I will get to see Bobby Horton again soon as he provides musical enlightenment during the Lincoln Group of DC’s “2nd Inaugural Address” festivities in March 2015.

Click on these links to get information about joining the Lincoln Forum and the Lincoln Group of DC.

David J. Kent is a lifelong Lincolnophile and is currently working on a book about Abraham Lincoln’s interest in science and technology. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and an ebook Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time

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